While I enjoy competing, sometimes athletic events can be fun to attend as a spectator, as well. I had one such experience on July 24th, as I attended the annual Freedom Tour Bike Races in Stirling (N.J.).
I went to cheer on a friend, Dave Miller, as he competed in the two-lap (2.5 mile) Fireman's Race, which benefited the Burn Center at St. Barnabas Hospital. The race attracted over 125 firefighters, from as far away as Wilkes Barre, Pa.
Each firefighter had to compete in full gear, which weighs approximately 40 lbs. The race is short, which means it's pretty much an all-out sprint for the top competitors. Dave is a big guy, about 6-3 and 240, and without much fat. He also rides regularly, so he is in good biking shape.
While most of the firefighters did it for fun (there was even a two-man tandem), about a dozen, including Dave, were serious about the race.
As they came around on the first 1.2 mile loop, he was with a pack somewhere in the top six, riding along side two other racers.
By the time they came in for the second, and final, lap, Dave broke away from the other two, and finished a very respectable fourth.
There was also a pro race after, and various age-group races that preceded the Fireman's event. It was well-attended by local residents, and it was just a great small-town, summertime feel.
I found myself wishing I was out there, but enjoying the day as a "fan" as well. My racing bike got destroyed when it fell in back of my car while pulling out of the garage a few years ago. Now, I've been content in tooling around on my "hybrid" with my son, and leisurely partaking in the MS 25-mile bike tour every year. This certainly stoked my interest, though!
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